Jul 21, 2011

LastPass Gets a New Look for Mac Lion & Safari 5.1 Release

With the official announcement of OSX 10.7 Lion by Apple, we've released a new version of LastPass for Safari 5.1 - with a new look, too!

Apple has made some significant updates to Safari, some of which have affected how LastPass works. The native SIMBL extension is no longer compatible due to the changes to the browser, so we took advantage of some of the new features of their extension interface to make our Javascript extension much better.For example, we have implemented a popover-style menu that significantly improves the usability and user interface of LastPass compared to previous versions. We have added a search input box on the main menu, which many users requested to improve searchability of logins. The password generator is also accessible from the main menu, giving easier access to new, secure passwords.Once you've upgraded your system to Mac OSX Lion or your browser to Safari 5.1, you can install the new version of LastPass. First uninstall all traces of LastPass that you may have installed in your new Safari - copy-paste https://lastpass.com/lpsafari.dmg to Safari or another browser on your Mac, press "Enter" to start the download link and choose the "uninstall" package option.

Once complete, copy-paste https://lastpass.com/lastpass.safariextz to Safari and press "Enter" to run the installer. Ensure that extensions are enabled in the Safari Gear menu - Preferences - Extensions tab if the LastPass asterisk button doesn't appear after you complete installation.

Known compatibility issues with Safari 5.1:

Basic authentication logins are no longer supported - we are investigating possible workarounds.

The login state of the browser extension cannot be shared with the LastPass extension on other browsers.

Copy username and copy password do not work.

If you're running a 5.0.x version of Safari, you can continue to use the native SIMBL extension or you can upgrade to the new version but you will still see the previous menu bar rather than the new popover menu; this is only available once you upgrade to 5.1.

We believe our new Safari extension is a big step forward in our browser integration with Safari, and with the LastPass user experience as a whole. Our intent is not only to give LastPass a makeover, but to simplify access to your data and reduce the number of clicks you need to make to get the job done.

We know it's a big change for our users, and we welcome your reactions or suggestions via comments below or in an email to support@lastpass.com.

What is LastPass?

LastPass simplifies your online life by remembering your passwords for you. With LastPass to manage your logins, it's easy to have a strong, unique password for every online account and improve your online security. Get started today - it's free.